Clamp for paper sheets

ABSTRACT

Clamp having a U-shaped body (1) for inserting objects therebetween wherein one (2) of the legs is provided with a resilient lockable lip (4) for clamping the objects concerned between the lip (4) and the other leg (3) of the U-shaped body. In this arrangement, the hinge axis of the lip extends essentially at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the web (7) of the U-shaped body. As a result, the clamp extends to a smaller extent over the width of the object to be clamped and over a greater length of the object to be clamped.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a U-shaped clamp for inserting objectsbetween it's legs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a clamp is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,477. The clamp showntherein is made from a relatively rigid thick material and the lip isfrom a resilient relatively thin material. In the description it isindicated that those parts might be integrally formed. Engagement of thelip to the related part of the leg is realized only by resilientdeformation of this lip which snaps behind a protruding part of therelated leg. This engagement can be realized by engaging a tab of theresilient lip. However, such engagement may result in damage of thenails or finger of the user engaging the tab protruding from the paperclip in the position of use and a relatively considerable force will berequired to disengage the resilient lip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioneddisadvantages.

According to the present invention the U-shaped body is preferablyelastically deformable such that the distance between the free lockingend of the lip and the part of the one leg which can engage with it canbe increased. That is to say that unlocking of the lockable lip iseffected by bending the clamp, as a result of which the distance betweenthe free end of the lip and the part of the one leg engaging therewithis increased such that unlocking is effected. Either the web of theU-shaped body of the one leg is provided with a weakened section inorder to facilitate the bending. In addition, the bending may befacilitated by fitting a projection to the underside of the other leg.Consequently, the clamp has only to be pressed at both ends, whichcauses a bulge and moves the lockable lip out of the locked position ifit is on a flat surface.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lip formsthe partial outer boundary of the one leg of the U-shaped body. Thus itis possible significantly to simplify the operation of the lockable lipwhile, on the other hand, the width of the clamp can be limited further.

Locking may be achieved by all methods known in the state of the art,but according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lockingend of the lip is provided with a recessed part and the part of the oneleg which can engage with it is provided with an oppositely recessedpart.

Moreover, interacting fastening means, such as a tenon/mortise assembly,may be fitted on the lockable lip, on the one hand, and on the otherleg, on the other hand.

The clamp described above may be provided with suspension means in ordernot only to fix in the clamp one or more of the objects inserted in theclamp, but also to suspend them by means of the suspension meansmentioned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in detail below with reference to theillustrative embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the clamp according to the inventionin the closed position;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the clamp according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side view according to FIG. 2, with the clamp in the openposition;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the clamp according to the invention, alongthe line IV--IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the clamp according to theinvention in the closed position; and

FIG. 6 shows the clamp according to FIG. 5 in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The clamp according to the invention comprises a U-shaped body 1 havinga web 7, a leg 2 and a further leg 3. A U-shaped insert is delimitedtherebetween for inserting, for example, flat paper 15. Of course, it isalso possible to insert other objects in the clamp described here. Theweb of the U forms the stop for the objects to be inserted.

The one leg 2 is provided with a lockable lip 4, the hinge centre lineof which is essentially at right angles to the longitudinal centre lineof the web 7. The lockable lip 4 is provided with a free end having cammeans 11. As FIG. 2 shows, cam means 11 are designed to match cam means12 of the part 6 of the one leg 2. Body 7 and the one leg 2 are providedwith grooves as a weakened section, the groove in the web 7 beingindicated by 8 and the groove in the one leg 2 being indicated by 9. Thelockable lip 4 is provided with a pin 10 which can slot into acorresponding aperture 13 in the other leg 3. Bevelled edges in the oneleg 2 have been indicated by 19, which bevelled edges facilitate theinsertion of the objects by forming a stop.

The device described above functions as follows. Starting from theposition shown in FIG. 3, the objects concerned have to be inserted inthe aperture delimited by the U-shaped body 1 and the free end 5 has tobe moved down so that can means 11 and cam means 12 engage with eachother and the situation of FIG. 2 is arrived at. In order to unlock thedevice again, pressure has to be applied on the ends of the legs, asindicated by the arrows. By taking the clamp between the fingers, anupward force in the center part of the clamp will occur and the cammeans 11 and 12 will thus disengage. The fixing means, 10, 13 shownfunction for penetrating the object to be inserted and, furthermore, forretaining it. Retention is effected, on the one hand, by the clampingaction of the lockable lip 4 and, on the other hand, by the fixingmeans. It is, of course, possible to construct the clamp without thefixing means described above.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 a further embodiment of the clamp according to theinvention is shown. Parts which have the same function as parts shown inone of the previous figures are denoted by the same reference numeralsand they will not be discussed in any more detail.

The lockable lip 4, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, isprovided with a part 20 which extends downwards. As the lip 4 consistsof resilient material, it is thus possible to provide for an adjustmentto various thicknesses of the objects to be inserted in the clamp. Inthis embodiment, part 20 will effect the clamping action.

The other leg 3, on its underside, is provided with a cross rib 14extending over the entire width of the clamp. As FIG. 6 shows, it ispossible, by pressing on the ends when the clamp is placed on a flatsurface, to unlock the lip 4.

Although the above invention has been described with reference to apreferred embodiment, it should be noted that numerous modifications maybe made thereto without departing from the scope of the presentapplication. Thus it is possible to provide means which prevent thelockable lip from being moved too far outwards, so as to prevent theneedle-shaped pin 10 from being able to cause injuries.

We claim:
 1. Clamp comprising a U-shaped body having two legs joined atone end by a web, said legs spaced apart a distance for insertingobjects therebetween, one of the legs being provided with a resilientlockable lip for clamping the objects between said lip and the other legof the U-shaped body, said lockable lip having a hinge axis whichextends essentially at right angle to a longitudinal center line of theweb of the U-shaped body, wherein the leg in which the lip is providedand at least the adjacent part of the web are provided with a groovesuch that the U-shaped body is elastically deformable to increase thedistance between a free locking end of the lip and a part of the one legto be engaged by the lip, and the free end of the lip engages said oneleg in a locked position.
 2. Clamp according to claim 1, wherein the lipforms a partial outer boundary of the one leg of the U-shaped body. 3.Clamp according to claim 1, wherein the groove extends essentiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the web.
 4. Clampaccording to claim 1, wherein the other leg is provided with aprojection, essentially half-way along, at the center, on the sidefacing away from the other leg.
 5. Clamp according to claim 1, whereinthe free locking end of the lip is provided with a recessed part and thepart of the one leg which can engage with it is provided with anoppositely recessed part in order to achieve the locked position. 6.Clamp according to claim 1, wherein the lip and the other leg areprovided with interacting fixing means.
 7. Clamp according to claim 1,wherein the lip includes a face, which faces the objects to be inserted,said face having an inwardly curved part for resiliently clamping saidobjects.